The Portland Playlist was excited to bring Laura Ivancie into the studio Wednesday night to talk about her influences and the new music she has spent the past 18 months creating. She is an artist who is continually challenging herself to break new ground. You might know her as an acoustic performer, you may have seen her onstage at the Waterfront Blues Festival, or perhaps you’ve seen her at venues like Dante’s playing to a trip-hop electronic vibe. Not one to fit comfortably into a box, she is at home in whatever genre she tries on. But she doesn’t just try one on, she owns it, throwing herself fully into whatever she’s donning. And like a spider to a web, her beguiling charms will draw you in until she’s wrapped you up in her glistening cocoon.

Laura Ivancie, photo by Teri Briggs

Laura’s music influences include artists like Tom Petty (Breakdown), Ani DiFranco (32 Flavors), Pete Bernhard/The Devil Makes Three (Graveyard), and India Arie (Strength, Courage, and Wisdom). She credits DiFranco for being the artist that influenced her to first write music. She admired the honesty and storytelling Ani brought to her music and you can see these elements in Laura’s own body of work.

We listened to her original recorded tracks, Light My Fire, and Superior (first performed at 2015’s The Bite). Her cover of “Light My Fire” is a sultry, jazzy rendition with gorgeous keys and strings.

Laura’s live performance included Little Girl and Faith. You can watch the live stream video here. “Little Girl” is Laura’s ode to her inner child and “Faith” is for those moments when we come to a crossroads, encouraging us to choose faith instead of fear as we walk through it. Whether she performs a soft ballad with only a guitar, or straps on the electric and belts it out, Laura delivers a performance that is raw, yet polished, full of stories we can all relate to. We sure hope to see you in the audience at Doug Fir because it is a show that will blow you away!

Teri Briggs can usually be found pedaling around town, behind the lens of her camera, or at one of the many local music venues in town. She also has a fondness for volunteering for good causes, promoting her favorite bands on her music page, and dressing up in a tutu.